Help! Cough, Throat clearing, sometimes Shortness of Breath for 3 months.

[Steve22stoke]

Hi everyone I am going through a very difficult time at the moment. for the past 3 months has been a living nightmare. 3 months ago I was fit and healthy it seemed to all start when I woke up one morning chocking on stomach acid and bile it was in my mouth and throat and I seemed to breath some in, for several hours I was coughing up what seemed like bits of acid. I seemed fine for a few days after however I started coughing a lot with some upper chest tightness, I bought a cough expectorant but was no help, a week later I got fed up and went to see my Dr whom associated the cough to a viral infection. A week later I actually did come down with a cold and was still coughing. coincidently I ended up with Sinusitis which has been ongoing for many weeks despite antibiotic treatment and nasal sprays. However my biggest problem is this constant cough and throat clearing, some tightness in the chest & throat, when I cough I can feel my throat rattle and recently getting this sensation that its harder to breath, as though I have some obstruction low down in my throat. I am getting a lot of post nasal drip from the sinus problems but part of me thinks that post nasal drip surely cant be responsible for severely congesting my throat and making even breathing through my mouth difficult? On sleeping I wake up worse as though something is getting into my lungs probably thick phlegm? I eventually had enough and went to hospital as I was getting very worried, all my stats were normal 97% 02 saturation and a clear chest X-ray, yet it still feels hard to breath properly. The only thing that seems to be helping is steam inhalation which I seem to clear some mucus from my throat I am waiting on A ENT referral but just wondering if anyone has similar problems or any ideas on something that might help. Many thanks.

[Gigi71]

I have a chronic cough, among many other health issues. It started well over two years ago, it was mainly after eating or when I laid down at night, to cut a long story short, I saw a respiratory consultant last October who believed it was my Hiatus Hernia and prescribed Gaviscon advanced as I was already on lansoprazol and he didn't think it was enough, it does help, I'm not able to take it as often as he wanted me too due to interactions with other prescribed medications I'm on. I also had a CT scan as a previous one done two years earlier showed some fibrosis caused possibly by my RA or medications for it. I still have mild fibrosis and a large HH, just a possibily you may have a reflux cough. I do hope they can get to the bottom of your problems soon. X

[Ergendl]

Try sleeping with more pillows so that your head is raised rather than level with your stomach.

[Pwkav1]

Hi ive had a cough for a long time as asthmatic 40 odd years but didnt know i had a bug called haemophillus influenzae was coughing green phlegm for months. Had plenty of sleepness nights as it was multiplying. Also phlegm Stuck in my throat a lot. I take phlegm capsules carbosisteine 4 a day. My husband could find me easily whilst out shopping due to me living with constant cough. Gave in frequent sputum tests all have come back with this bug. Ive been on azithromycin antibiotics for 8 months now and am much better. Im under the chest clinic at the hospital. Dont know what my next step will be tho. Hope you get to the bottom of it. Karen. Xxx

[Kristicats]

I did indeed go through a very rough period like this. I don’t really know if it settled down by itself but seemed to me to be around the time I stopped having milky drinks and turned to lactose free dairy products..... and started taking NAC ,just a thought.

Hope it gets easier soon Cx

P.S throat lozenges made me worse .

[Anna6]

Hi. I have had similar experience with coughing. I have reflux which I have had surgery for as medications weren't working and I had constant chest infections. Even after surgery I was still coughing. I know take nexium and ranitadine for reflux and azithromycin for chest infections. I also sleep on an elevated bed which helps and try not yo eat much 3 hrs before sleeping. Much better now. Persevere with docs and any treatments offered, there will be something that works for you. Take care.

[Steve22stoke]

HI guys thanks for the reply's. Out of desperation I have made a miniature camera/LED on cable and shoved it down my throat so that you can see the area around the vocal cords down in the throat. I felt no choice to do this after being to the Dr's four times and keep being sent away with anxiety meds. The last few days I have been struggling to breath properly with a drowning sensation..very frightening! I have been able to take some photos of the area down in the throat and it looks very bad. Like thick secretions and pus, with swelling everywhere. I wish I could upload the photo on here somehow? I am not really sure what to do next as it would be another week before I could get in see the Dr again.

[Ruffycanoe44 in reply to Steve22stoke]

Steve, don’t put things in your throat you could inhale them and choke. . See another and a third if you have to. A pulmonary specialist is best and you have to insist they do sputum tests, give you a temporary cough suppressant while they try to figure out what’s causing this problem but don’t put objects down into your throat.

[cj73]

The coughing and clearing the throat sounds similar to how I felt, my doctor finally diagnosed me with reflux and told me to raise the head of my bed by putting a couple of bricks under it. Don’t try to raise your head with more pillows, as if it’s reflux it’ll just make it worse as you’re causing your body to bend in the wrong places. I can’t say that I know what my throat looks like, but it sounds like you could do with seeing someone sooner rather than later. Also the drowning sensation sounds scary. It’s up to you, but if it was me I’d be calling 111 for advice at the very least.

[Steve22stoke]

Yay got a diagnosis, my GP sent me to an ENT Dr, whom stuck that endoscope up my snozz and said everything is burnt sinuses & throat. I got LPR

[garshe]

I take Mucodyne (carbosisteine) tablets 1 4 times a day thins the mucus or phlegm. Then easily dispersed. Ask your Doctor.

[Steve22stoke in reply to garshe]

Ok thanks, my throat/chest always feels full of mucus, constant coughing/throat clearing

[garshe in reply to Steve22stoke]

ThecMucidybe tablets are fantastic you can take 2 four times a day to clear then I take 1 four times a day to control. It thins the phlegm or mucas so easily dispersed or coughed up. Ask your Dr . I didn't know about them until a friend who is a nurse told me .so glad as they work..Mucodyne or Carbosisteine both names on box..good luck.